conlangfandomcom-20200223-history
Aruk
General information Aruk (Aruk nan otlo nɑn ˈoˑt͡ɬo) is a language isolate that employs a multitude of cases and verb forms, but maintains complete regularity. It is largely agglutinative and sentences are head-final. Phonology Aruk has a fairly small phonemic inventory. Allophones are in parentheses ( ). Consonants */n/ becomes palatalized to ɲ, and becomes velarized ŋ before velar consonants and fricatives. */s/ is becomes palatalized to ɕ. */t͡s/ is becomes palatalized to t͡ɕ. */h/ becomes labio-palatalized to ɸᶣ. */h/ becomes palatalized to ç. */h/ becomes velarized to x. Vowels */i/ palatalizes any preceding consonant. */y/ labio-palatalizes any preceding consonant. */ɯ/ velarizes any preceding consonant. */i/, /y/, and /ɯ/ all act as approximates /j/, /ɥ/, and /ɰ/, respectably, before long vowels and between other vowels. Stress and Vowel Length It is standard that the first syllable of a word receives primary stress, and the vowel of that syllable gets "half long" vowel length /ˑ/, unless: *that vowel exhibits full length /ː/, (oopi ˈoːpi). *that vowel acts as an approximate, (iuura ˈjɯːɺɑ). Vowels written twice are pronounced as long /ː/. Alphabet Phonotactics General syllable structure is ©V© or GN, where: *C is any consonant. *V is any vowel. *G is a glottal stop /ʔ/. *N is a syllabic nasal. Some exceptions: #A word cannot begin with /ʔ/ if it begins with a ©V© syllable. (‘am) #A syllable cannot end in /ʔ/. (ka‘) #GN syllables cannot follow a syllable that ends in a consonant. (hat‘n) Grammar Nouns Nouns are declined by use of suffixes according to their number and case. There are 2 numbers (singular and plural) and 17 cases. Number A noun is made plural with a suffix. These suffixes depend on the corresponding case to which the noun belongs. A noun ending in a vowel gets the ''-m'' suffix, and a noun ending in any consonant gets the ''-üm'' suffix. The siffixes for the rest of the cases are listed below. Cases Pronouns Pronouns are also declined according case. They are classified by number, person, formality for second-person singular, and clusivity for first-person plural. There is also a "zero-person" pronoun that acts similarly to the English word "one", but does not carry the same academic tone. Personal Reflexive Reciprocal Possessive Demonstrative Relative Interrogative Indefinite Adjectives Adjectives, like all modifying words in Aruk, typically go right before the word or group of words that they modify. In between the adjective and the noun is the particle nan. Unlike most languages with extensive case systems, adjectives do not decline in any way. Verbs acting as a participle adjective, however, do need to be conjugated to their paticiple form. Adverbs There are two classes of adverbs in Aruk. Adverbs that modify adjectives, other adverbs, determiners, noun phrases, and prepositions use the ken particle. Adverbs that modify verbs, clauses, and sentences use kem. Verbs All verbs in Aruk end in ''-a''. They take different suffix endings according to the following forms: Because of this feature, verbs and verb phrases can end up being very long words. For example "Irai kaarasnatsikhiistarnaiutlkemë?"means "Will you not want to have studied?". Copula Deletion Sentences using the copula, ta, usually remove the verb if the sentence is an informal statement or a polar (yes or no) question. Syntax It is most common for words to be in SOV order, but there are no strict rules. Other common word orders include: *VSO for questions and poetry. *SVO for songs. Vocabulary Example text “I felt that I was not, never had been and never would be a living part of this overpoweringly solid and deeply meaningful world around me.” — A Separate Peace by John Knowles “Apau iuuranüö mu apau tanüöke, honoie nan tsü‘n kina kotoonenemai ken sötö ame sëtë‘nte ken tarapniis nan ketëin ohüs apausa keie kem tanüötl ame keie kem tasaats.” — Tsüüskar nan A‘an John Knowles-n Category:Languages